IEC fires Free State area manager

Published May 6, 2014

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Bloemfontein - The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) in the Free State has fired an area manager during the special voting period, the provincial IEC head said on Tuesday.

“We shook hands with the manager,” Chris Mepha told journalists in Bloemfontein.

The manager apparently refused to hand voting material to the presiding officer of the Khotsofalo farm school voting station. No reason was given for the manager's actions.

The IEC said the station had 14 special votes applications.

IEC officials were also investigating a problem at the Kestell Old Age home voting station in the Maluti-a-Phofung area. The facility apparently told IEC staff no proper arrangements had been made for special votes.

“In Moqhaka (Kroonstad) not all (voting centres) opened on time. At a temporary voting station chairs and tables were not available but the voting continued.”

Mepha said despite these issues special voting went ahead without major problems.

The province had more than 23 000 special vote applications. IEC officials visited more than 10 000 homes for special votes and more than 4400 special voters visited voting stations.

Mepha said IEC officials would continue taking special votes.

“They must visit all those who have applied.”

He urged all those registered to vote on Wednesday.

“Your vote is your voice,” he said, adding all South Africans should embrace democracy.

Sapa

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